Lieutenant Kuryakin's claim to fame
by MLaw
Summary: A 'burning' question about Illya's past is answered... #10C in the Illya series
The Soviet diesel submarine Moskva had been patrolling in the Bering Sea, coming as close as they were permitted to American soil without creating an international incident.

The island of Little Diomede was but 4 kilometers from the Island of Big Diomede, where a Soviet base was located. There Moskva made a port of call and the crew could see across to the American island located just off the coast of Alaska.

There seemed to be few living on Little Diomede other than native Inuit and ethnic Russians who dwelled in ramshackle housing, and the Soviet sailors thought it sad to think this was how some of the downtrodden Amerikanskii masses lived.

Why the Kremlin was afraid to bring about war and a revolution within this country made no sense, as the might of the Soviet Union was far superior. If the people lived like this it should be easy to convert them to the socialist way of life! Alas it was not the place of a lowly submarine crew to question workings of the Kremlin when it came to dealing with the west.

It was the Moskva's job to help defend the coastline of the Soviet Union, and that was exactly what it would do.

The sub proceeded through the straits; its patrol was to hug the coast, travelling now in the East Siberian Sea, through to Kara Sea. From there they made an unscheduled stop at Kolguev Island, after which they'd continue their assignment to the Barents Sea, and finally home to the main base at Severomorsk.

A detail was sent out on Kolguev to kill some reindeer for fresh meat. Their stores were limited but enough, that was until cook discovered their meat had gone bad and would need replacing due to a defective freezer.

The sub was only permitted to make land at a limited number of locations while on patrol and this island with its few inhabitants would be a safe harbor. Yet while hunting an unexpected snow storm blanketed them and the already snow covered island.

 _"Tovarishch Leytenant, ya dumayu, chto shtorm stanovitsya vse khuzhe!_ " Seaman Yuri Penkov, a member of the detail, called out to his superior.

A towheaded officer turned to him with concern in his blue eyes.

" _I know snow storm is getting worse! Now be quiet Yuri and let me think!"_

Young Lieutenant Kuryakin was in charge of the detail, and he had to make a decision. Either risk trying to get back to the sub waiting for them offshore; to do so they'd have to take their small rubber dinghy in the choppy waters, or stay on the island and shelter in place.

He chose what he thought was the lesser of two evils. The chances were greater the dinghy would founder in the rough seas and they'd all drown or freeze to death. Either way, if they didn't find shelter they could still freeze to death here as well.

Time to _**pronounce**_ his decision. " _We stay and build cover!"_ He barked the order." _We will make like Inuit and build igloo."_

" _Ig-luh? Comrade Lieutenant? We do not know of making such things?"_ Seaman Evgeny Kashenkov groaned. Still they all knew not to argue with their stern Lieutenant. He was a good officer, efficient and fair; he distanced himself from all the crew except one.

" _Da Igloo, and I know how,"_ Kuryakin said. "They are built in shape of catenoid, which offers optimal ratios between height and diameter of structure to eliminate structural tension which could otherwise cause it to implode or bulge…"

" _Illya?"_ His only friend on the boat, Starshina 1st class Mikhail Popov, tugged on the sleeve of his parka, pulling him aside and whispered to him.

" _Men do not care why, just tell them what to do before storm gets worse, da?"_

Kuryakin pursed his lips. He did not understand why they would not want to listen. It was always a good thing to learn something new and interesting, but then Misha had reminded him time and again, what Illya Kuryakin found interesting, many did not.

He shrugged and began giving them instructions on cutting the snow blocks and where to place them.

The best snow to use for this purpose was blown by wind; it would serve to compact and interlock the ice crystals; luckily what they had here to use was perfect.

The hole left in the snow where the blocks were cut was used as the lower half of the shelter. The snow's effective insulating properties would allow the inside to remain relatively warm.

Once the igloo was ready the men crawled in with their supplies. They'd killed only one reindeer, cleaned and dressed it and that they dragged inside with them as well.

"No pissing inside!" Kuryakin ordered. "I do not want to see any _**yellow**_ snow."

As the winds whistled outside, they huddled together trying to keep warm by the light of their kerosene lanterns.

Seaman Ludomir Lomonosov complained about being hungry, but his rumbling stomach complained even louder.

" _I suppose we could roast some of the meat,"_ Kuryakin said. In truth he was hungry himself, and if he didn't eat soon he would falter in front of the men; that he could not allow.

A hole was dug in the center of the igloo floor, and kerosene poured from one of the lamps there. Using a stick they'd brought with them to mark where their kills would be buried in the snow; it would be a useful spit on which to roast the meat.

Some of the reindeer meat was cut into small pieces and after poking a hole in the roof of the igloo to vent the smoke and the heat; Illya lit the kerosene.

A short while later the snow stopped and the men gathered in the freezing cold to trek back to the shore with what meat they had.

When they arrived on board the submarine it was reported that Comrade Lieutenant Illya Nickovich Kuryakin was the first man in Soviet naval history to have burned down an igloo.

He shrugged as his boat mates laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.

" _I thought it would work,_ " Illya mumbled as he shrugged. " _At least it kept us warm!"_

" _Da, warm Kuryakin way!"_ Starshina Popov spoke in defense of his friend. " _Well at least we were lucky he didn't blow up igloo, and only burned it."_


End file.
